Termite Colonies

The size of a termites nest will depend on the age of the colony, a new colony may well be only a few hundred termites, but the larger termite colonies which are well established can be home to about two million termites. A termite colony needs many types of termites to fulfill all the functions of a healthy termite colony, and termites are social insects, they need workers, queens and kings. Each type of termite has a distinct function in the development of a healthy termite colony and each type of termite maintains a balance.

Most hive insects only have a single queen whereas termites have several termite queens in multiple colonies.There is a main queen, with possible secondary queens within a colony and it is her duty to expand and oversea the colony. Queen termites are identifiable by there noticabley larger bodies, extended abdomens, and their singular ability to lay prodigious amounts of eggs.

Although all termites are born as nymphs, the worker termites, they will develop to fulfill other predetermined functions that ensure the safety of the colony by keeping a balance between the types of termites needed for a healthy colony. There function is triggered by chemical sex pheromones which determine what type of termite they will become. The life span of different termites differs the queens live for up to fifty years if the conditions are correct but the average worker life expectancy is only a year or two.

It is highly improbable that a human would ever be able to see a termite egg with their naked eye-being that they are practically transparent, tinier than a tiny grain of rice and are white to yellowish in color.

They are no more visible than the eggs unless the safety of the nest has been breached, but if they were to be visible insects develop their typical physical characteristics, Again because the nest is hidden the larvas are not often seen, but if they were to be visible they are minute translucent termites, with all the physical attributes common to termites

Often termite nests are not visible until the termite colony has been well established, so once termite signs are visible it is too late to eradicate the nest. Termite droppings, looking like a grain of sugar in size are brown and dry and they are often seen first. Also laying tracks in wood to travel in safety, they rarely travel outside without cover because that would mean that they are vulnerable to predators. Hollowed out wood with a hollow ring can be a sign of termites, and certainly needs investigating because even if it is not a termite colony you need to get to the bottom of the cause. Sometimes bubbling paintwork or piles of sawdust or mud are also visible as they act as camouflage for the termites to travel.

The fecal matter is kicked out of the nest when the workers are cleaning and the signs are a visible mound of brown dry matter with each grain being about the size of a grain of sugar.

Often a chemical treatment of wood can be a deterrent which can preserve the life of your wood, wood exposed to moisture or soil will eventually be weakened by insects. Borax or boric acid is a cheap deterrent for termites. It is often used as bait for termites and the termites carry it back to the termite colony and eventually it kills many of the termites. Orange oil is another pungent product detested by termites, it makes the wood bitter and they avoid it.

Termite colonies are also selective about the wood that they choose to eat, they prefer hardwoods and conifers. They tend to avoid Japanese trees and Redwood, Western Cedar, Teak, Tallowwood, and the Neem Tree relatives, but just because they tend to avoid them as a general rule does not guarantee that those woods will not be attacked on your property.

Termites are social animals and it you see one they are not fond in isolation, more will follow or are there and the earlier you take action the more effective the deterrents will be.